Whilst Liverpool did well throughout the beginning of the 2016/17 season, the start of the new year has not been kind to them. At the moment, the Premier League is their only chance of winning silverware and even that looks far from guaranteed, given how much pace they’ve lost in recent weeks.

Therefore, their clash against table toppers Chelsea could not have come at a more interesting time for them; lose and their title hopes are all but gone, win and the race is wide open once again. Given how desperately the Reds need a win, they would have no doubt rejoiced at the recent happenings at the AFCON.

Senegal got eliminated, which means Sadio Mane is now available to play for Liverpool again. Whether or not he does given the fatigue he might experience due to the travel, the fact is his return couldn’t have come at a better time. The winger was spotted arriving at Melwood earlier today, leading to more speculation over him playing.